Joanna Barakat expresses her deep-rooted connection to Palestinian culture through her mixed media artwork, which combines painting and Palestinian embroidery. She uses her art to advocate for Palestine, challenging collective perceptions and stereotypes while exploring transcendental ideas through self-reflective work. 

Now living in Abu Dhabi, Barakat was born in Jerusalem, raised in Los Angeles and then moved to London for university, where she received her BA in Art and Design from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London and her MA in Global Media and Postnational Communication from SOAS, University of London. Along with being featured in numerous publications, Barakat’s work has been exhibited in prestigious venues such as the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London and the American Museum Katzen Art Center in Washington, DC. 

In addition to her artistic practice, Barakat shares her passion for Palestinian embroidery by teaching workshops and curating content on her Instagram page, The Tatreez Circle. She is the author of Narrative Threads: Palestinian Embroidery in Contemporary Art, which is forthcoming with Saqi Books in May 2025.